It's the little things
by OverRide-doing-donuts
Summary: It's always the little things that matter, right?
1. Small steps forward

It was a crooked smile, but it was still there.

Kaiba almost looked like he had years ago, his face lit with the pure and joyful smile of a child. It made the cold man seem like he had always been a warm hearted individual. But of all the things it did, it scared them. Seto's newly claimed "friends" were a little creeped by his smile, save for Serenity.

The pure hearted girl had a smile plastered on her face too, her expression soon reassuring the group, Mokuba and Yugi the first to return the unexpected happiness Seto apparently had.

"Thanks, guys, I owe you all a heap. Especially Joseph. I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you, but I'll make it up any way I can. Within reason." Seto crossed his arms, his smile still genuine and child-like, his voice taking on a gleefulness that has never been heard before.

"Seto, did someone time-travel and bring back the ten-year old you?" Mokuba joked as Joey looked to the older Kaiba, a slightly more serious expression carried in his eyes.

"I only ask you stop calling me a mutt…. And that you care for Serenity just as much as you care for Mokuba." Seto nodded as he heeded the words of the older Wheeler, his sister firmly attached to Seto's hand, their fingers intertwined. Tristan and Duke both sighed, they had long lost their chase to Kaiba, just as they'd feared. Mai patted Joey on the shoulder.

"Way to go, big guy. Nice to see that the fists have come down." Yugi laughed,

"Definitely. Joey's all grown up and soon he'll leave the nest." The small boy jested, but everyone just seemed to laugh more.

"Well guys, I think this call for a dinner." Tea suggested, the sunset glowing softly in the background. As the group stared out across the ocean, Bakura reached into the sand, pulling out a seashell.

"It seems the thief king left me the sleight of hand…" Bakura pocketed the shell, it was small and pink.

"That's not too bad though, all things considered." Duke said, bringing the attention of the previous Millennium users to him.

"It could've been worse if he left you the greed he himself had, don't you think? But hey, that was what? A year ago?" Duke's voice trailed off as they started walking back towards the town.

"So how about we all go to that burger joint?" Tristan suggested, his eyes looking up to the sky. Seto shook his head, his arm around Serenity's shoulder, his hand holding Mokuba's.

"You're all coming back to the mansion. We'll eat there, once we have Yugi's Grandpa, if that's okay." Yugi nodded and dashed with Tristan back to the shop to collect the elder Motou.

"Thanks for coming, Mr Motou. I owe you an apology… And a small favour." Seto shook the elder's hand, the other man spoke in a calm voice.

"What ever could you mean, Seto?" The Kaiba pulled a card protector case from his pocket.

"When you're ready, if you place the damaged Blue Eyes White Dragon in this and drop it off at the office in the tower, I'll have Pegasus fix it. I already called him a while ago about it. He was surprisingly forgiving, even though I've caused him severe damage too." Mr Motou chuckled.

"With that voice, Seto, people will react to you in a similar manner to what they do Yugi. They will be willing to see good." Seto nodded and lead the gathered group from the foyer to the prepared tables in the dining hall, which were lovingly decorated with tasteful flowers and plain, yet sophisticated tablecloths.

"Now everyone, let us enjoy our first meal, as friends, rather than adversaries." Seto toasted, and was met with a cheer.

It was a crooked smile, but it held together.

* * *

**So I was bored yesterday and now my woodcut has a replica Seto Kaiba coat adorning its shoulders. And this was a short fic I thought was fun. Simply put, I don't really know where this would fit in, but this is just a little story, so I see no point in validating too much.**

**The group that is on the beach (cause apparently that's where they began in this fic) consists of Yugi, Tea, Joey, Serenity, Tristan, Duke, Bakura, Mai, Mokuba and Kaiba. Ishizu, Marik and Odion are back in Egypt.**

**May your donuts last longer than this fic...**


	2. A little love and care (Part 1)

"Your leg's acting up. I can fix that." Joey said to a passing patient. Their prosthetic leg was making odd whirring sounds it really shouldn't, and Joey was a trained mechanic and knew when things sounded wrong.

"And who're you?" The patient asked. He was an older, balding man, his leg cut from mid-thigh down.

"I'm Joey Wheeler, I work at the little garage out on the highway." Joey replied, the patient seeming to recall seeing the establishment mentioned.

"Oh! You're that kid that the old man…. Now I see. Well, I guess if it's you." The patient took a seat next to the blond man. Joey had aged a lot since he got into mechanics. His blond messy hair sat on his head the same as it always had, his face sharper, eyes warm, yet eager and aware. His height had increased him to a decent six-foot-seven.

Joey pulled out a screwdriver from his pocket and began repairing the leg as soon as the patient was seated.

"There we go. It looks like the casing on the battery was loose. No matter how many times I tell the guys in charge of these things here, I always have to fix somebody." Joey stated as he returned the leg. The patient seemed curious,

"What do you mean?" The man finished reattaching his prosthetic.

"I mean that the guys who make and give people these things, a lot of them are faulty when they come out of here and nobody notices for ages, then they come back here and they say 'it's fine', when clearly it's not." Joey crossed his arms as he shifted in his seat in the waiting lounge.

"Oh, I think I get it. And your garage is known for modifying and fixing things specially for those who struggle normally, doesn't it? But didn't the old man…" The patient trailed off as he noticed Joey's face darken.

"Yeah, the old man's gone and the shop looks like it may have to close…" Joey gripped his loose jeans, knuckles white. The other patient thanked him and quietly left.

"Joseph Wheeler, Dr Tanaki shall now see you."

"So Joey, it looks like those fracture have fixed themselves and all the other wounds look to be okay. So what else can I do for you?" Dr Tanaki was known to be an expensive doctor, the elderly man was a skilled surgeon.

"I came to ask for shots, doc. I need to finish some of the immunisation courses and get boosters as well." Joey smiled weakly, he hated doctors, but he had to be happy with Tanaki.

"Ah, absolutely. Here are all the times which the clinic offer shots to the public. As for the courses, I can finish them here and now if you'd like." Dr Tanaki was answered by the solemn nod of Joey, who rolled up the sleeve on his white shirt.

"Thanks for all you do for me, doc. I seriously owe you…" Joey began, but the elder held up his hand.

"No you don't. You help so many with their mechanical needs, especially those with certain requirements, when nobody else will. Keep doing that, Joey. And promise me you will get out of that neighbourhood." Joey nodded and smiled, he understood the doctor well and after he finished his needles, he left the clinic with the public shot time list.

When he returned to the garage, he sighed and flipped through the notes on the desk. There were jobs that needed to be done, as always.

"Hello Mr Lennar? Yeah, it's the garage. I'll have your car ready by six." Joey started phoning the people who were expecting their cars, giving them estimates for when they could get their cars back. When he finished the fifth call, he set to work completing the jobs. It was ten in the morning, and if it were anyone else, the jobs wouldn't be done for a week, even with a crack team.

But this is Joey Wheeler, and he was the only (but best) mechanic (ever employed) in the garage.

* * *

**So I had the idea of making this a collection of things, it'll probably be a long time before I dub it complete, but I'm happy to keep this book open. I feel great writing these little "relief stories". By writing these, I can keep the creativity flowing smoothly for the larger stories which are on the way!**

**May your donuts be awesome.**


	3. A little love and care (Part 2)

The tinkering sound of metal hitting concrete was oddly comforting. Joey looked out to the road between the garage and the sea, the moon was slowly but surely dragging its usual blanket of darkness over the city. Joey realised that it was too late to go home safely and decided that working here was the safest option.

It had been a few weeks now, but ever since he had said goodbye to his father, leaving the man in his angry and drunken stupor back in the lower neighbourhoods, he had been attacked randomly. The blond had taken up residence in an apartment a fair way from the back alleys that usually smelt of trouble, yet somehow, like a sick dog with anger the trouble had scented him out. He had been attacked going home one night at about seven, and since then, he decided that if he waited till after sunset, he was going to stay in the garage.

"Alright, looks like all the work's done here. Now where did I put that thing…" Joey muttered as he searched for the duel disk he saw Kaiba throw out his window. The design was new, but the CEO said upon questioning that it "overheated quickly and the projections fell apart". From what Joey gathered from his sister's boyfriend was that the parts worked fine, so long as they weren't in the actual disk. Considering that this design was supposed to go to the academy he was creating, Joey took it in.

"Okay, so if we move the auxils over here, put some silicone in here…" Joey spoke to himself, it helped the concentration. He was doing pretty well to fix the disk. He aimed to take it back to Kaiba fixed just to see the reaction, because apparently even he and his teams couldn't fix it.

"Almost done… But I need help making this thing so the module here won't fry! Ugh…" Joey sighed in defeat, he had an idea for a coolant recycling device. It was no bigger than a large coin and it would replace the spent chemicals in the coolant with the air around outside.

"Let's give it a shot…" Joey plugged the disk onto his arm, the feeling familiar as he had used these devices countless times. Joey summoned the most graphic heavy monster he could, the Red Eyes Black Dragon alongside Time Wizard with Sogen in play. Just as he thought, the device worked fine for all of an hour, the holograms holding perfectly, but he stopped before he began to smell the burning of circuits.

"Oh well, maybe Kaiba's still in the office. I could call…" Joey mused as he studied the plans for the small unit the disk needed.

"Hi, this is Joey Wheeler. Yeah, if I could speak with Kaiba? Great. I'll wait." Joey breathed easy, it seemed Kaiba was having a late night in the office.

"Wheeler, this is unexpected." Kaiba spoke with a nearly surprised voice.

"Well, I called because I think I may have fixed your disk. I just need help with something." Joey spoke evenly, even though his fatigue threatened to show through.

"Where are you? I'll be there to see what you have." Kaiba sounded eager to leave his desk, which barely shocked Joey.

"I'm at the garage on the highway. Be careful, there are people who may attack you." Joey didn't mean for it to happen, but his voice carried that element that said "and I know it" silently. The line was quiet before Kaiba said he would arrive in five minutes.

"So let's see the disk." Kaiba said as he entered the garage, his sleek white Serento parked within the garage bay.

"Sure, but I'll also have to show you the endurance too. That'll be another hour away from Mokuba…" Joey said, Kaiba nodded slowly, he spent time away with work, sometimes even days, but he knew Mokuba's needs.

"It's only eight, I think I'll be okay if I'm home by quarter to ten." Joey activated the disk and again summoned the monsters and Sogen. Kaiba raised an eyebrow, but he was met with the response, "this was the most graphically challenging combo I can make", which satisfied the logic in Kaiba.

"So the other thing was this. I had an idea for solving the problem of coolant. I drew this up." Joey handed the CEO the sketches. The reaction he received was one that Joey couldn't quite imagine without seeing it. There before him sat Kaiba, mouth slightly agape, eyes darting between the blond and the paper.

"Well…. I think that this is what I've been needing. You're hired. I think my team leader needs to search for a new job." Joey stepped back at the words of Seto, he couldn't quite believe it.

"Are you saying…? You want me to work for you? But what about this garage?" Joey deactivated the disk and returned the cards to his deck. Seto stood and offered his hand.

"You can remain here, but I think your sister would be awed to hear her brother is working closely with me. And I offer this out of friendship, not desire to gain." Seto's voice and expression were genuine, something seldom seen by anyone other than Mokuba. Joey took his former foe's hand in the shake.

"Sure, Seto. I'll join you, but I'll be expecting help in here. The old man left it in my care."

It was the little loving that Joey put into his work that would always get him the attention and prove most useful.

* * *

**Basically, I wanted to show what kind of life I picture Joey having after the Grand Prix. He deserves something like this after all that trouble. Also, I am totally open to suggested pairings for this. If someone wants to see my spin on anything, then suggest people!**

**May your donuts be satisfying.**


	4. Small talk on long nights

Yami was strangely drawn to his host. The young boy, normally, would be considered to be too innocent and far to gentle and forgiving. Yet, somehow, it didn't irritate him to see his counterpart was so naïve.

"So what do you want to play tonight?" Yugi asked, his big purple eyes meeting the redder ones of the old pharaohs.

"I think we should play…" Yami looked at the room, the brightly coloured mind of Yugi stacked with scattered toys, boxes of cards and premade decks for duels within his mind. There was even a smaller table with Dungeon Dice Monsters on it. Yugi certainly did like collecting the games, each and every one he'd ever played had been stored here. Yami's eyes finally fell upon the wooden toy chest.

"…Nothing. I want to look in there…" Yami pointed towards the chest that rested in the corner and approached it.

"Well, I suppose we can look in there, though I don't think it's too interesting…" Yugi ran a hand through his hair, he couldn't really remember what he put in that chest, he figured it must be childhood toys that he no longer had or used. Yami opened the chest and retrieved a Senet table.

"Oh, so this isn't interesting?" Yami returned to his search of the now mysterious chest. Yugi stood with mouth agape, how could he forget? He put some of the games and toys he saw from the Egypt exhibit in there, without even thinking.

"Well, we could play Senet. What else did I stash in there?" Yugi, now excited, looked into the box from the opposite side of the pharaoh.

When they were done, they had pulled out a twenty squares dice, a Mehen table and pieces and several other wooden and clay toys, each one Yami eyed with an expression of "I think I used to have this…. Somewhere…". Yugi was really excited now that he had all these new games to explore.

"Let's play Mehen, followed by Senet! How about it, Yami? Would you teach me, please?" Yugi pleaded, his eyes taking on the child's innocence in a shine none can mistake. Yami smirked,

"Not unless you do that thing again, Yugi." Yami chuckled, Yugi blushed profusely. The younger boy then sighed, conceding defeat and stood before the pharaoh.

"Yugi, I wasn't being serious." Yami's smirk faded fast, he placed a hand on his counterpart's shoulder.

"Maybe I was waiting for an opportunity." Yugi stated.

The pharaoh now at a loss for words, Yugi wrapped his arms around his shoulders and got onto his toes. He was merely inches from Yami's lips, a gap soon closed by the sweet and sincere kiss of Yugi. A kiss that lasted a mere moment, yet felt like an eternity to the couple. It had been a mistake when Yugi kissed the pharaoh the first time, but him doing it voluntarily a second time had Yami surprised.

"Yugi, you didn't have to…" Yami began, but he was soon silenced by the hand of Yugi upon his mouth.

"It feels strangely right to feel this way for you, the same way I feel for Tea, and I think I know why." Yugi sat the pharaoh down on one of his bean bags and sat himself on the other.

"Ever since I nearly lost you in that fire, I've felt this ache in my heart, as if someone is still ripping us apart… But when I kissed you that night in my delirium, the ache was gone, and I felt complete again." Yami took Yugi's hand and squeezed it.

"Well that fire was long ago, and nobody will try that again, not while I command magic." Yami's reassuring smile infected Yugi and he himself was smiling happily.

"Now let's play a game…"

It was raining heavily outside, but Yugi would never notice, he was too busy playing games within his mind while he slept soundly on the second floor of the Kame Game shop. And finally, maybe the ache would leave him alone for good.

* * *

**I had a great chat with leneo today, and I was moved to make this small Puzzleshipping moment. But alas, I have other long-running and overdue fics to finish, so for now, I'll leave this collection alone. But enjoy!**

**May your donuts last forever.**


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